Health

Immunization coverage among infants enrolled in the Tennessee Medicaid program

Article Abstract:

The percentage of Tennessee children enrolled in Medicaid who had received all recommended immunizations by 24 months of life varied according to several factors. Researchers examined the immunization status of 33,615 two-year-old children born in one of three counties between 1980 to 1989 who were enrolled in Medicaid. First-born children were more likely to be completely immunized than children with three or more older siblings. In county A, 67% of infants were immunized versus 52% in county B and 40% in county C. Older, educated women were no more likely to completely immunize their children. The variation by county and the lack of association with demographic factors suggests that the degree of success in completely immunizing children depends on factors in the health care and vaccine delivery system.

Management of an outbreak of tuberculosis in a small community

Article Abstract:

Delays in identifying and treating infected individuals may have contributed to the spread of tuberculosis in a small, middle-class and previously unaffected town. Eight months elapsed between the first signs of infection and the start of treatment in the one patient identified as the source of this outbreak. Twenty-one people developed active tuberculosis and 697 of 9,898 people tested positive for tuberculosis in this town over a three-year period. Only 49% of those infected completed preventive treatment with isoniazid due to a policy of not offering preventive treatment to people younger than 35 years.